


The Joke's On You

by Pxrple_Cookies



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: A vague appearance of my OC Celene, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Jokes, Boys Kissing, Donella is the the principal lol, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Feelings Realization, Flirting, Gay Panic, How Do I Tag, Hugo is just hot, I'll add a few more tags with the next chapter uwu, M/M, Original Character(s), Sassy Varian (Disney), Teasing, This Is STUPID, Varian is kinda a nerd, but here he is confident af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:35:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29782449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pxrple_Cookies/pseuds/Pxrple_Cookies
Summary: After Varian accidentally appeared in a place where he wasn't supposed to be, he could still feel that bitter salty taste on his tongue and sand in his clothes.These nasty flashbacks made him want to rip Hugo to shreds. Cause he was practically RUINING his life.Now that he had an opportunity...But apparently, fate had other plans.
Relationships: Hugo & Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms), Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Fooled by Lies

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic was inspired by the song "Friends" By Chase Atlantic. I highly recommend it!
> 
> This is the first chapter of this "3-am-written" fanfic, so enjoy!  
> P.S: My OC Celene won't play a big role here, she had eventually been planned to be Rapunzel's younger sister, and that's pretty much it to know. She does have a somewhat backstory, but here we can just call her "Varian's Best Friend".  
> Anyways fella's, I'm so sorry for any verbal mistakes or expression errors! English is not my first language, unfortunately.  
> Alright then, hope you enjoy this ff! It's just a two-chapter one-shot, and the next part will be out soon!  
> Love you all sm♡

  


Dang. That Monday morning feeling. 

Hollow streets, bleached in the dim pale rays of the rising dawn with no sense of life a mile away or so, the city sound asleep. For an incomprehensible reason, this type of atmosphere always hits differently. With your Air pods on, wafting through the lifeless streets, the lackluster shine of the streetlights guiding your way, as you jump over tiles avoiding stepping on the lines, not to ruin the imaginary game of "Lava". 

Varian slowly skidded down the downslope road, letting out a startled humph from the sight of the empty downtown square. Being used to the daily throbbing with purpose city, he felt like he had some special VIP pass to walk to school alone. It's not like he was bothered. Vice-versa. 

The familiar feeling of panic twisted in the male's stomach as he approached the old building, recognizable by its ancient design of ivory-colored walls and slight rusting water pipes hanging from the top flat roof.

A bitter taste of the old middle-school days of bullying and humiliation touched Varian's senses. He let out a lingering sigh, stuffing his hands deep into the pockets of his coal-black jeans, getting more nervous with every step he took towards the prison, carrying a sweet name: Coronan Sun High school. 

Heh. 

It was NOWHERE near that innocent name. 

A sudden feeling of revulsion attacked Varian as more thoughts of the past approached, making him lean against one of the huge columns hesitating whether to enter or not. The fresh morning breeze lightly swayed his raven hair, making him nuzzle into the neck of his cadet-grey hoodie. 

Taking a last glance at the deserted street, he gulped and pushed the huge, glass doors as they swung simultaneously behind him. As he emerged from the main hall, he remembered what he was on the job to do. 

Something that he promised himself to accomplish this morning. 

Chewing on his bottom lip, he thought through all the possible outcomes of his little "mission" he was determined to complete. He couldn't help but grin as the scenarios slowly built up in his head. 

Not until he was rudely interrupted.

Thump.

A shower of papers and folders flew in every direction, sprawling on the cold floor along with the two teens. One was busy muttering curses, the other trying to collect his mixed-up files. 

"Hey! Watch out! " 

A familiar voice cut through Varian's ears like a knife blade, his brain sending signals of arousing panic. 

Oh shit.

"Y-you?" That was all Varian managed to mumble before his eyes met a pair of two, sneaky emerald ones, stupidly staring at the older boy with wheel-wide eyes. 

"Good morning to you too, Nerdy Boi" 

Yes. He would literally recognize this smirk from THOUSANDS, even with his eyes closed. 

It was the school's popular asshole. Really, someone who Varian would avoid if he wasn’t the bystander of a scene, which he wished would be erased from his memory. 

"Hugo." The raven-haired boy demonstratively rolled his eyes at his worst middle-school enemy. He did figure out that he'd meet up with the blonde at some point, but seeing this stupid-ass smirking face at 7:00 am at the start of the semester was the least he wanted. This was predicted to be a long day. 

Just as Varian collected the last bits of scrambled paper from the floor, he caught a glimpse of two familiar figures sprinting towards him. A brunette girl, of average height with a cute round face covered with tiny freckles. Her long-styled ponytail beautifully fell down her spine, lightly touching the folds of her sapphire high-waist skirt, matching perfectly her deep, navy-blue eyes. 

She was the first to rush over to the raven-haired boy, offering a hand of help. The other undoubtedly accepted it with a warm smile. 

"Oh V! So glad to see you again!" The pretty girl rambled, pulling the male into a tight hug. Just as the other girl hurried up, panting a bit from the fast running. Her short chocolate hair was a bit messed up, a star-shaped hair clip hanging loose on a thin strand of hair. She wore a lavender "Mango" dress, long to her knees, a slightly glittery raincoat wrapped around her waist. Varian recognized his other best friend, Nuru. 

"Celene, tell me how the hell you're running so fast?!" She grumbled, folding her arms, addressing her claim towards the taller blue-eyed female. 

"Sorry, I should have stopped and remembered you’ve got tiny legs." She teased. Just at that second, her attention finally drew to the blonde boy who already stood up from the floor, brushing off the dust from his blue jeans. She glared at him as if he was a piece of chewed gum stuck to her shoe. 

"I'm 100% sure I called the team of the "Annoying-bratty-pests" removers squad, how come they are not here yet?" She said, still burning Hugo with her glare. 

"Dunno, probs on holiday. Or else you would already be at the zoo at this time, Lele," The blonde demonstratively checked his watch.

"Even the zoo becomes a better place when you are not sticking your butt around!" Sneered the female, not even thinking to give up. 

"Woah chill, I can legit see the steam coming out of your ears. Don't be so angry, love. Or-"

"Or what? You're gonna go complain to your favorite, dear mother? What a momma boy! Just because your mom is the principal doesn't let you have full control of the school!"

Hugo looked as if he was slapped in the face. Celene's words cut somewhere deep down, but a stone-cold expression quickly soothed away the anger, and the tall male was back to being himself in no time, plastering a professional smirk on his face. 

"Okay, it's about enough" Varian scoffed, shooting out his hand to stop the two from eating each other alive. "Don't push it further, this morning already started fabulously"

"As you wish, Your Highness." Hugo leaned towards Varian in a teasing bow, lowering his voice to a whisper for only the younger man to hear. “We need to solve a few things, so catch you for a small chat, Little One.” It sounded almost like an angry growl. Hugo quickly straightened before skidding off to class, purposefully brushing his shoulder against the other boy's.

The second could nearly SWEAR that his enemy shot him a light evil wink. He quickly brushed his thoughts away. For as long as he knew him, it was typically Hugo's nature. You never know what that sneaky rat has on his mind. 

But shit.

What “Small Chat” did he talk about?

Oh. Oh.

Crap, he knew. He figured Varian had that picture. Memories of that ill-fated summer day awoken from the depths of his mind.

"Oh, such a pain in the ass!" Complained Celene, annoyingly rubbing the tip of her nose with her turtleneck's sleeve. 

"Agreed" Nuru nodded as she finally managed to fix her hair clip." I really do feel you, Var."

"It's fine" Varian couldn't help but chuckle. " It's fine." It's a war between us after all." 

Ye. Especially when Varian had HUGE problems now." It's time to think of a plan.

"Wish you luck" Shot Celene, as they all walked the rest of the way through the hall, cracking random jokes and laughing. 

Varian felt so bitter but was evidently surprised at how more confident he turned near his school enemy. This time, he hardly even tried to keep the mask of calmness, like he was naturally born with such certainty. Remembering all the bullying years he had witnessed during his middle-school days, he winced at the thought of his stupid weakness in front of Hugo, how he hardly tried to protect himself.

Adulthood brought this wave of realization that Varian could be more than that. And surely, he was kind of getting the hang of it. 

But that look that Hugo gave him before storming off.

It was a look of assertiveness, as if a challenge for Varian to accept, it was something new. Hugo always looked at him with boring disinterest, only teasing and bullying him to enjoy seeing the other upset. But this morning the blonde actually showed some particular interest towards the younger one, like they were competitors on the same level now. 

Well, they were on the same level. Varian remembered the cringy situation he had fallen into. And what really stung was that it was his own fault. Should’ve thought better. Well, the clock can’t be reversed now, they became even stronger opponents.

Or were they...

No. No. No.

Stop thinking about anything else, it would never happen in a million years. Why the fuck would they be something more but arch enemies that they have been since middle school. Varian always won the “School’s Nerdy Fool” award.

Well, he wasn’t a fool now. Not when life taught him to become more mature and see things differently, not from the fluffy, happy side. Varian promised himself to become more than a rag that everybody wipes their feet on. And this game of "Cat and Mouse" could be just the key to the unsolvable puzzle under the name "Hugo".

And if Varian was the first one to match all the tiny bits together, then it's a blessing in disguise! A damn victory!

And now he had the PERFECT opportunity. He slipped his phone out of his pocket, scrolling through his photo gallery. A winning smile crept to his lips as he found what he was looking for. 

Varian was sick and tired of following the rules. It was time to make some of his own. 


	2. Haunted By The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian is a confident brat and Hugo makes a hard choice.  
> (P.S: There is a sweet surprise at the end of the chapter for you luves)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terrible at plots ik  
> (SPOILERS: I wrote my very first kiss scene Woah)

The school lessons lasted so long, it almost felt like an eternity-long waiting. Varian literally crawled out of the chemistry class, hanging his lab coat on the nearby rag. He felt blessed that it was his last class period, and the thought of going to finally chill out in the library made him smile.

“Var, you coming to Attila’s bakery shop downtown with us?” A voice snapped him out of his daydream. He took time to answer because, apparently, he wasn’t the type of person who could directly say “No”. Celene and Nuru stood near, waiting for his response.

“Uh...Sorry, Lee, I had plans to stay at the library since I haven’t visited it for ages.”

Celene clearly desired to offer something judged by the movement of her lips, but the raven-haired teen was quick to add:

“Alone.”

Nuru gave a “Let’s-just-leave-him-to-it” type of sign to her BFF, and the other nodded approvingly.

“Alright, V the time is all yours. See you around!” Both of the girls gave a last wave and dashed off to the exit. 

Phew. 

Varian desperately needed to sit back and relax, having all his thoughts to himself. He approached the red sandalwood doors of a familiar room, rather christlike silence greeting him as he carefully peered into the cosmic library.

As usual on her daily basis, a short ginger-haired woman jogged to him, a tired and grumpy expression on her face. She eyed Varian, her beady eyes eating him up alive behind those awkwardly enormous glasses. The boy would have felt uncomfortable in any other situation, but their super conspicuous height difference made him hold back his giggles.

“Nice to see you again, Miss Calliope.” He said with a wide smile drawn to his face.

The little woman sniffed loudly, looking unamused.

“Can’t allow myself to say the same.” She shot and haughtily raised her head. “Now not to waste any of my precious time, follow me, Virlan.”

“Varian.” The male corrected.

“Do I look like I care, youngster?” 

He just rolled his eyes at her rudeness. For a long time, he knew Calliope, she was always annoying but a good book expert, so he didn’t complain.

The library was quiet at this time, only a few visitors quickly picked out some books and left. Varian grinned as he saw his favorite corner, feeling comfort as he fell into a puffy chair. This peaceful area of the gigantic library was isolated from the more bustling part, like mini heaven on earth. This was all Varian needed at that moment until Calliope’s annoying voice snapped him from his La La Land.

“I will be closing the library in 15 minutes, your very late today, houseboy”

The nickname made him irritated, he could literally ADOPT this little woman, and according to their size difference, nobody would even complain. Age was a different factor, but he was 18 and yet to be called a “houseboy”. Thank you very much.

“I’ll be fine on my own, Miss” He muttered trying not to sound bitter. 

She eyed him suspiciously again but eventually left him in solitude. 

Now then.

Those new alchemy books were his topic for today.

But shit.

Varian caught himself daydreaming, slowly losing focus on the words. 

Ironically, all his thoughts were fixated on that damned son-of-a-bitch, under the famous name Hugo. Varian tried to push the thoughts away, trying to convince himself that he loathed that blonde!

But why was it so fucking hard?

Well of course it was. He cringed at the sudden flashback that wrapped his cold arms around his mind, squeezing the juices out of all his positive and happy memories. 

\------Flashback------

Summer. Late August.

The day started AWESOMELY for the first time in years! The rays of the evening sun backed the usually busy streets of Corona-city, ice-cream and cold drinks stalls running out of products in a blink of an eye. Cheerful kids ran around with their rainbow-cored Slurpees and adults sunbathed on the beach, what a warm atmosphere?

Varian sucked in the hot air, letting himself stop, facing the fire sphere. Nobody around was teasing him. Nobody was pushing him. Everyone minded their own business. 

Fucking heaven on earth. 

Nuru and Celene wandered off into the crowd, both girls eager to take the best shots of the beautiful late evening sky. Varian was in for the cool pictures too, so he went hunting in the other direction.

He wandered around the fussy food market, people scattered around with trays and bags picking fruits and sweets. The assortment of different goodies was huge, Varian’s eyes darted from one stall to the other, absorbing all the colors and wonderful smells. He didn’t even notice how carried away he got until he passed the last tile of the beach path, his feet sank down into the hot, yellowish sand. The view of the sun ahead of him was blocked by the piled-up rocks, but what was behind them seemed to be very promising. 

Varian grinned, if he climbed on top of them, then he would score a 10 out of 10 with the pictures he’d take. He happily reached the rocks, taking off his sneakers and socks before stepping on the hard stone surface. The area was deserted, most of the crowd was left behind. Oh, what a success. 

It took a few tries to overcome the obstacle, but as Varian predicted, it was worth it. 

The setting sun was hugged by flaming red clouds, polluting the horizon with a splash of blood-flecked colors. The view was pleasantly intoxicating, especially when you are a newbie photographer in desperate need of beautiful sceneries or beautiful sceneries, craving for more like a drug addict. 

Everything seemed to be just perfect at the moment. 

But all sweet moments hold their own bitter plot twists.

Just as Varian sat down on one of the huge rocks, his gaze drifted off the other side of the public beach. Behind the “fence” of piled up stones, there was a small sandy private area, isolated from other fussy bits. A few meters away stood two figures, tightened in something similar to an embrace but more strange. Varian narrowed his eyes in curiosity, ducking behind a safe rock to avoid being spotted. Just as the two separated, he discerned two males, one of which Varian immediately recognized as a boy from his school. 

Okay…

Varian indeed was one of the school’s Straight-A folks, but that boy, Billie, was just too much of a cute, sensible teen with a huge red target painted on his back for all the bullies. 

And yet, no.

Varian rubbed his eyes in disbelief. 

Billie was towered by a much taller guy, plastered against one of the stones. The expression on his face screamed with terror and fright as the second guy leaned in closer toward him, breaking all the boundaries of personal space.

At the exact moment, Varian’s eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of THAT smirk. 

Hugo.

It was fucking HUGO! The school’s drama king and the popular leader teen. 

And… He was about too-

Varian turned his eyes on his phone which was still in his hands with the camera turned on. A million thoughts flashed through his mind, and he immediately knew what to do. 

With shaking hands, he pointed the camera on the two boys, searching for a better angle. His thumb slowly pressed on the white button to shoot the scene, and it was done.

Varian inspected the picture with shock. Surprisingly, the image turned out perfectly distinguishable without any presence of blur. Stuffing his phone into his pocket, he swiftly slipped out of his hiding place sliding down the rough rocks. 

He ran back towards the food market, his eyes darted to find Celene and Nuru. They were both sitting on the beach partition, taking sips of their new-bought Pina Coladas.

“Hey, Varian!” Celene greeted him with a wave. “Where have you been? We've searched the whole beach! Were you so busy taking photos of the sky and didn’t invite us?” She playfully nudged him on the shoulder with her drink. 

“Umm...I...Beautiful sky? Oh yeah, I took loads of pictures, found a perfect place.” He hated how he stumbled over words, nervously fiddling with the tip of his shirt. To his relief, both of the girls seemed oblivious to his changed behavior.

“Cool.” Nuru sighed. “I agree, the sunset today was something!”

Celene nodded and Varian forced a clumsy smile.

If only they knew.

Maybe he will have a chance to regret everything later. 

\-----End of Flashback------

What a day that was.

Varian let out a sigh, burying his head into the pages of the book he was reading. 

Why was he involved in this mess? Now that everything floated out from the depths to the surface. 

Hugo knew. He KNEW.

Time to think of Plan B. He could basically just DELETE that fucking image and never suffer again. But at the same time, the thought of sweet revenge won over common sense, and Varian decided to live with it for now.

He went back to reading now, capturing the meaning of each word he read. The book grabbed his attention fully, but of course, nothing good lasts long.

“Into science huh? How cute.”

A cold hand planted on his shoulder and Varian nearly fell off his chair at the unexpected actions taking place. 

“W-What?” Still unconscious of what’s happening, the raven-haired boy tried to spin around to face the unwelcome visitor, meeting a familiar pale face.

“Hugo.” The word didn’t sound like a question but like a hating statement. It was his every time greeting whenever he saw the blonde.

He stood up from the chair, straightening his spine to look more confident. A horrible decision, really. 

“What did your ass forget in such a place like a library?”

Hugo scoffed, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets, gifting Varian with one of his sassy grins.

“Honey, you're too hard on me. It’s not like I'm such a dumbass.”

He turned his attention to the book in Varian’s tight grip.

“Science Facts You Didn’t Know? Oooo, read that a few times, a good one actually.”

Varian couldn’t hide his surprise but still kept his cool to not lose his image.

“I’ll pretend it wasn’t another stupid way to impress me, so skip that,” He said calmly and turned his back to the blonde to put the alchemy book on the shelf.

Faking confidence was so out of Varian’s style, he bit his lip to brush away the nervousness building up in him.

Just as he began recovering from the shocking events, his lips let out an indignant humph at the sudden pain shooting through his head as it hit the hard wooden shelf. 

“Excu-!”

The male was roughly spun around, blue eyes interlocking with emerald green ones. It took a moment for Varian to realize that he was pinned to the bookshelf, the taller male towering over him. The unexpected presence of physical contact made him stumble over the floor, his back pressing into the leather book covers. Hugo’s lips pressed to the shell of the boy’s ear, disgustingly hissing:

“Still behaving like a brat, sweetheart?”

Varian gulped. What else had he expected after pissing off the school’s “Danger”, and after taking that stupid picture? He did not predict for things to get an ugly turn, but there was nothing left to grab onto now.

“I will not play by your rules, Hugh, not anymore. No matter how good you try, you can’t prove your “coolness” to me. I’m not that sensitive, sweet straight-A folk hiding away from the word “social”. “

Varian couldn’t tell, but the confidence in his voice made an impression on the older male. So he wasn’t wrong predicting that that nerd changed. Well, it made things MUCH more fun.

“Okay, Sweetcheeks, love the sassiness.”e sassiness.”

“Thank you, but can we skip the compliments? It's super cringy.” 

Hugo found it hard to admit, but that boy’s behavior massively bothered him, and that fact made the male very frustrated.

He imagined that Varian would be the first one to break and just shrink like a shrimp at the invasion of his personal space. It’s like in the nature of nerds like him.

But shit.

This bratty boy didn’t follow the scenario that Hugo planned in his head.

The blonde twitched realizing that he stood motionlessly, staring at the freckled face in front of him.

“So what are you in for?” Varian asked curiously, breaking the awkward silence. He did realize that he was still pinned to the bookshelf. “Was this eventually planned to be a staring contest.”

Those words snapped the older from his trance.

“I know better of it, hummingbird,” Hugo growled, attempting the second time to press the raven-haired boy harder into the charred wood.

“Can’t wait to know your plan.” Stated Varian with a sassy roll of his eyes. “Do you seduce all your victims the same?”

The tall boy snarled. Those baby blues literally ATE him up alive, only with the fierce and determined spark in them.

He would lie if he said that it WASN’T as hella cute.

“I’m flattered. To be honest, I thought you’d be oblivious.” He hissed, taking a step ahead and “accidentally” brushing his knee against the other’s leg, studying Varian’s face for any reaction. “But back to your question, I hardly try doing anything, Honey” He leaned in closer to his ear, lowering down the volume to a whisper. “You’re an easy target, babe”

Of course, he was bluffing.

But his name wouldn’t be Hugo if he gave up that easily on that boy. 

Varian felt an urge to slightly shift under the pressure put on him, but that would be an instant score point to Hugo, and that would suck.

He bolted his eyes behind the blonde, checking for any human life in the library.

But as Calliope said, the library was closed to the day. 

So he was alone, alone to deal with his own problems. Oh well.

Forcefully swallowing the panic bubbling in his chest, he leaned closer to the face opposite him, also lowering his tone, even though no one was their audience but the stacked up books.

“An easy target huh? So why hadn’t I fallen into your arms the second you started bullying me.”

“Call it flirting, Hairstripe.”

Varian narrowed his eyes. FLIRTING? That was new. Something inside of him flipped for some reason, and that feeling was nowhere near hate or anger.

“Well if those nasty and rude actions should be called “flirting”, then pigs know how to fly.” 

His steady breath against Hugo’s ear shell sent the older male flying. Failure of keeping his cool aggressively pounded on the door, and it hit Hugo like a fucking train.

Ironically, the train’s conductor was the nerdiest and shyest boy in the whole Corona-city, and for years, confidence was the OPPOSITE word to describe that nerd. Where the hell did he pick up all that sarcasm? Hugo noted to himself to ask later.

But how dramatic.

Letting out a silent hiss of anger, Hugo slammed a finger into the younger’s chest.

“If you haven’t figured out yet-” He started, failing to hide his annoyed tone. “-You’re the one 

in trouble here, love.” Despite Hugo doing his best to act like a boss, the other seemed unconvinced. That brat does have a two-faced mask in his pocket. Just as he was about to say more, Hugo suddenly remembered what he actually came here for.

“Alright, enough of the drama, babe. Now, where is that picture?”

Varian totally saw that one coming. 

“What picture?” He innocently blinked with his big eyes, imitating confusion at its finest. 

Shit. 

“Don’t test me! Now let us try again. Where are you hiding that picture? I will not ask the third time!” Hugo was in a state of frustration, and he HATED the way he quickly dropped control of himself.

The lack of a wacky nickname at the end of the sentence sent Varian the devastated mood of his companion. A mischievous grin plastered on his slowly took his opponent's hand, letting it drop from his chest.

“Am I supposed to be frightened of you? Cause I think differently, sir.”

Varian whispered softly, not a single sign of panic in his voice.

This indeed was the last verbal shot to make the taller’s grip loosen on a bit, his face screaming with confusion. 

Now or never.

Varian gracefully ducked underneath the green-sleeved arm, circling the blonde’s leg with his own in order to tighten the grip. With surprising professionalism, Varian spun the tallboy around easily, now towering over the other. 

Well.

There it was.

To say that Hugo was shocked was to say nothing. The loss of control made him slide down a bit.

Varian craved to see that expression since the beginning of his sweet plan. 

Unhurriedly, the raven-haired teen took off his own reading glasses, throwing them on the nearest coffee table. His crystal blue eyes fired the emerald ones.

Hugo’s heart skipped a beat.

Oh god. Why did that have to be so HOT? The blonde shook his head in the realization of his overly weird thoughts.

“Whoopsies, I misheard, what did you say about the “trouble” again?”

Perhaps Varian was getting better at teasing, the much he wanted to deny, but he did have a skilled teacher at it.

Varian’s chest bubbled with excitement at the thought of having that “teacher” wrapped around his finger at that tense moment.

He knew Hugo for a while now, but he never even dreamed to see this annoying face lose its smirk under his pressure. And shit, it pleased him in a strange way, making his world spin like a carousel. 

No...it couldn’t be.

“Well-” Hugo finally spoke out, straightening his shoulders showing his “confidence”.

“Nice of you taking the lead, princess. Your braveness is cute.” Crap. Hugo hated how his voice cracked.

“Shut up!” Varian grumbled but failed to hold back a chuckle at Hugo’s attempt to try and helplessly hold on to the rope of “looking tough”. “Don’t try, Emerald. You won’t distract me with that blabbing tongue of yours, that picture is safe and sound on my phone in my pocket! You won’t-”

Varian’s eyes widened as he realized he just blurted out. 

Shit.

This was screwing in all of its senses. Why did he have to mention that? Now Hugo knew his target!

Hugo blinked, absorbing the information. He couldn't help but grin at Varian. That nerd may have turned out to be a tough nut to crack, but his chatty tongue did get him in trouble.

The male scanned through his previous plans when he was following Varian to the library. A sudden idea popped into his brain, although it was the LEAST thing he’d agree on, he still admitted that it was specifically interesting.

Hugo wasn’t about to swallow his pride. The time didn’t come yet. 

With an immensely smug grin, Hugo gently but quickly grabbed the other boy’s slender wrist, eventually startling the other.

“What are you?-”

“Keep quiet.”

Hugo took an opportunity when Varian’s face was fully facing him, it all happened in a blink of a second as he smashed his lips against his. 

Those quick actions made Varian’s breath lose its steadiness. It took him an extra second to understand the intimacy of the moment but it was too late.

Hugo held on tight to one of his wrists, the other hand nonchalantly slipping to his waist.

The kiss lacked emotions, but Varian’s head spun of the realization HOW professional it was. The thought that the blonde male kissed someone else with the same passion before awoke an unfamiliar feeling inside him, and it was practically eating him up alive.

Meanwhile, the initiator of the intimate actions distinctly felt how the younger boy’s body went limp under his tight hold. He winningly smiled against the red, puffy lips that he earlier captured and carefully let go of Varian’s wrist, leaving the other in complete shock.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the cute scene, and how Varian’s face turned carmine-red.

Oh god.

He CRAVED to stand there and watch that boy for the rest of his fucking life.

What was happening to him?

Anyways, he got what he wanted. Maybe some other day.

He was about to silently leave when his inner devil stopped him right when his back was turned to the bookshelf. Hugo sighed, trying hard to restrain himself and turn around, taking a step back to Varian, who was still speechlessly frozen to the spot.

“Thanks, Sweetcheeks.” Hugo breathed out against the younger’s ear, and without stopping himself this time, he hastened away. 

Varian’s brain refused to function, he lost count of how long he was glued to one spot on the carpet, his mouth dropped a bit in shock. 

His legs shook as he attempted to move, his back finding the hardwood of the bookshelf.

He slowly slid down meeting the floor, back to the leather covers of novels as he let out all of his emotions like a long-held scream.

Funny, that’s what losers do.

But Varian agreed that he lost this game, the game that he was so confident in winning. 

Shit. What did he expect? That blonde bitch always had a plan hidden in the depths of his mind, and now it popped out as a surprise like a Jack-In-A-Box.

But that kiss. Yes, it was far away from perfect, but something about it seemed to be so satisfactory. Why would someone like HUGO even kiss him? It wasn’t about feelings, right? It took him forever to figure out that it was a form of distraction that perfectly worked on his own naiveness, and it made his heart sink.

But why- 

Pause. 

His eyes went wide at the sudden realization as he touched the pocket of his Levi’s. A muscle on his face twitched. And the next he knew, he erupted with laughter, rudely interrupting the peacefulness of the library. 

Satan.

Hugo sprinted down the narrow hallway, determined to get to his mother’s office as fast as possible. In another situation he’d probably be jumping up and punching the air with fists of victory, but not today. Not today when he was RUNNING away from his own thoughts. 

The shiny glass door came into view for his relief, and he dashed forward to grab the knob and slam it back, as he panted and leaned on the glass. 

“Now who in the fucking HELL were you running from?!”

Uh oh. Donella seemed frustrated. 

She towered over her desk, tapping her ball pen as she waited for a response. Her grey hair was strictly styled into a long braid, the tip lightly touching her waist. Of course, to highlight the seriousness of her statues, an ironed black suit perfectly sat on her, along with a white office blouse and a matching suit tie.

As said before, she looked nowhere pleased with the unexpected intrusion into her office.

Hugo understood how awkward he looked at that moment, and he quickly recovered from his trance. 

“Um, I- Just came across some assholes from chemistry class, no big deal.” He cursed at himself as his voice cracked.

Obviously, Donella didn’t seem convinced.

“And you’re telling me you ran away and didn’t get into a fight? Bullshit!” She laughed, keeping her dark brown eyes on him.

Hugo groaned, but he’d rather burn in hell than tell the truth. 

“Didn’t feel like it.” He grumbled and slumped into the seat near the principal’s desk, grabbing an apple from the tray. He was relieved that he kept his cool, especially in front of his 24/7 grumpy foster mother. 

The tall woman eyed him suspiciously for a minute, but shrugging her shoulders eventually and gracefully sat back on her blue chair. 

“Well, deal with your own problems. Who were they anyway?”

“Doesn’t really matter.” Hugo loathed the fact that his mom took advantage of her status as a principal and always tried to deal with his own problems in high school. “Besides, you said it yourself, I should be more individual.”

Their conversation ended. Donella decided not to torture him anymore, and she silently dived back into her work at the computer, paying her son no mind. As soon as he made sure she was distracted, he slipped an object out of his pocket. That exact object which he aimed for. He fiddled with it for a while in thought, his bare fingers slipping over the black cover and screen. 

It was Varian’s phone.

Safe and sound in the phone gallery, there was a certain picture that would fucking ruin Hugo’s reputation. Break his image, which he built with sweat and blood for many years. 

His thoughts formed into a mixture, the moment when he distracted Varian. The shock and disbelief in those baby blue eyes, the limp body that melted in his embrace. 

Why did that feel so... warm?

He could lie to Donella, he could lie to everyone! But he couldn’t lie to himself.

Today was the day when he asked himself a question. A question that never haunted him before, but now. He bit his lip as he looked at the clear photo, sinking into his seat. 

A question that he was scared of.

Was it worth it?

\-----------------

Another day, another life. 

The bad Coronan weather seemed to chase the citizens from day to night, nearly every student coming back from school in soaked clothes. 

Hugo left the school in a hurry, pulling up his green hood with a frown. He took a moment to glance at the gloomy sky, which threatened to pour heavily at any second. Just as he was about to dash home, he noticed a figure standing near the school gates. A figure that he’d recognize from hundreds. Without hesitation, he slowly started to approach the person. 

Varian was slightly swaying on the spot, humming an unknown melody. His big blue scarf covered all of his neck, looking way too oversized on his small body. A pair of black JBL headphones covered the shorter male’s ears, immediately taking them off when he saw a familiar smug grin. 

Hugo nearly swore that he caught a faint glimpse of pink on Varian’s cheeks, but the other quickly nuzzled into his huge scarf to hide his face. 

“Ugh Hi!” The blonde gave a small wave at his supposed “enemy” as they both stood half a meter from each other. Awkwardness knocked on the door to let itself know.

“Hello.” Varian’s answer was a bit muffled but clear for the taller to hear. “What are you doing here? It’s going to rain any minute.”

“B-But I kinda like rain ahah.” The stammering in his voice was clear as daylight. But Varian seemed to pay no mind, lost in his own thought. “Actually, I-”

Hugo busily fiddled in his bag, finally finding what he needed. Without a word, he sloppily handed it to the boy opposite him. “This belongs to you, so I ought to give it back. I deleted that image anyway.” He chuckled to himself, rubbing the back of his neck. 

His inner voice literally begged for Varian to forgive him, and, oh, what a surprise. 

“Thanks, I guess.” That was all Varian could answer, being in a state of confusion. The least he expected was to receive his phone after two days without it, he even bought himself a new one. 

A few tiny wet droplets painted the pavement, scaring most of the students near the building away. But nothing in the world seemed to bother these two souls, not even the nasty weather. 

“Look, Hairstripe.” After a moment of hesitation, Hugo got his grip and stepped closer to the younger boy. “This shit is complicated, I know. But-”

“You are just into nerds, I get it.” Hugo couldn’t hold back a smile at Varian’s teasing that he had fucking missed so much. 

“Hah, okay. You exposed me.” He sarcastically rolled his eyes at the raven-haired male, happy that the awkwardness of the moment slowly faded away. “But seriously, I carefully thought through this and-”

He took a moment to look into those ocean eyes, and he swore he saw the whole world in them. His heart lost its steady pace. Shit, why didn’t he notice this before? Maybe he was too prideful to admit it back then, but now he was trapped in Varian’s thoughtful gaze. He fell super hard.

“Soo, umm- It’s going to rain soon. Maybe you can keep me company and pop in somewhere to eat, accept it as my apology for stealing your phone.”

“If it’s an invitation, I guess it would be impolite to refuse, especially to a dickhead like you who didn’t learn the word “No” in elementary school.” The raven-haired boy couldn’t hold back the urge to tease the taller male, the other throwing his hands in the air in a giving up sign.

“The joke’s on you, Nerdstripe.” Hugo straightened his back, offering a hand to his companion in a TOTALLY “friendly” manner.

“Asshole.” Varian laughed, happily taking the other’s gloved hand. Surprisingly, his feelings towards Hugo were nowhere near hate. 

The feeling was mutual for the blonde as well. 

Maybe it was a mistake, a mistake offering a hand to his “enemy”. To his opponent. To his...opposite. To make the other trust him after all their middle school and high school drama together. Last Hugo expected was Varian, the freckled school "nerd"—Varian, to tightly squeeze his hand as if scared for Hugo to disappear. Well after that small library incident, Hugo didn’t consider Varian a nerd. Not anymore.

Ye, it was totally a mistake.

Well, it was the best mistake he ever made.

  
  
  


The man closed his green notebook shut just as he finished up scribbling the last word. He pressed it closer to his chest letting out a deep thoughtful sigh as he drowned in the flood of old-time memories. His thoughts were his only company until a warm, almost melodic voice rang from the hallway.

“Pizza is here! Where is everyone? Hurry, or I'll eat it up myself, peps!”

Immediate footsteps echoed from another room, children’s voices and chaotic moves mixed with the chill atmosphere of the bedroom next door. The man didn’t need to hear anymore as he jumped out of bed from his Lotus pose, kneading his numb legs.

“Dad?.” A brunette girl appeared at the doorway with a huge smile, two front-bucked teeth pointing out. “Are you coming downstairs for dinner?”

A smile of his own crept on the blonde’s face. The softness of the small girl’s facial features reminded him so much of the person that he treasured more than his own life.

He dove forward, making the girl stumble over her feet, but his strong hands grabbed her in time. He lifted her up, spinning around the room as she wiggled in his arms, manically laughing.

“Me? Missing pizza? Pff, race you!” The man put her back on the floor before setting off down the hallway and passing the stairs with insane speed.

“That’s not fair!” The brunette quickly caught up with him, being the first to make her way to the living room.

“What’s not fair?” A blue-eyed man poked his head from the kitchen, looking down at the complaining child with a questioning look.

“Daddy left me and-”

“Don’t be a snitch, Louisa.” The blonde-haired man scolded her, sticking his tongue out playfully, before placing a soft kiss on the raven-haired man’s cheek. The girl watched them curiously.

“What?-”

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” Both parents said in unison, and the family sat down at the round living room table, as a blonde-haired boy tiredly skipped down the stairs to join them.

“K? I thought you couldn’t leave your video games unattended.” The little girl teased as she poked a fork at his bare arm.

“Shut it, Lou! I got a new Xbox for Christmas, so I have the right too.” He shot back, taking a large bite of his Hawaiian pizza slice.

“Don’t speak with your mouthful, Isaak.” The raven-haired man gave the boy a glare, leaning in across the table. “And who in the world taught you the words-”

His glare instinctively switched to the tall man in a Lincoln green sweater, the other playfully shaking his head innocently, as if he wasn’t part of it.

“Cross my heart, love, I have nothing to do with it.” He quickly shot a wink to Issak, backing him up.

“Ugh, I give up, Hugo!”

After dinner was finished, plates were cleaned, and the kids obediently agreed to go to bed.

“Oki. Thank you for the delicious pizza! We’ll go now.” Louisa, a naturally well-mannered sweety, spoke up first.

“No problem, Good night then.” Varian smiled, ruffling the girl's braided hair a bit but not to ruin the hairstyle.

Isaak, however, clearly wanted to protest, but the brunette girl quickly tugged him by the hem of his shirt, giving a glare. 

“Nah, you’re coming upstairs as well.” She hissed, but only loud enough for her bratty brother to hear her. She then quickly turned around back to her parents, angelically smiling before dashing up the oaken stairs as they creaked under their faint, child steps. 

As soon as both men heard the slamming of doors on the second floor, the blonde burst out into laughter. 

“Hell, that girl surprises me more and more with time.” He dramatically slapped his knee as he saw his husband’s deadly glare. 

“Very funny.” The raven-haired man rolled his eyes, lazily leaning on the sink counter, oblivious to Hugo staring at him with a sneaky grin on his face.

“She understands life, love.” The blonde took a step forward, trying to look as casual as possible. Of course, Varian’s bad habit of “paying no mind” influenced his poor awareness. 

“She is 5, Hugo.” Blue eyes darted towards emeralds, finally paying attention to the other's actions. 

“What are you-”

Too late. As usual.

Hugo slammed his hand into the counter, the stone shuddering under the pressure. He captured the slightly shorter man between himself and the sink, rudely invading his personal space. 

Just like in the good old days.

“But that girl knew the exact time to leave the adults alone.” He pressed a dry kiss to Varian’s ear, feeling the other shudder at the sensation. 

“Don’t tell me this is a reference to that awful library scene.” Varian moved in closer, their faces inches away.

“I could totally imagine you rubbing your back against all those books again," Hugo murmured, purposely brushing his nose against the other’s flushed cheek. 

“Wait a second, I thought it was your ass which kissed the bookshelf, but you do figure you loved it under my pressure.” 

Hugo couldn’t hold back a chuckle, he gazed into the determined ocean eyes, sparkling with...challenge? 

“I thought I was an asshole.” He teasingly mimicked his husband’s voice, making the other pout.

“That’s why I love you, fool.”

The words were carried away by the wind that blew through the kitchen window as they pulled into a passionate kiss, the silence of the breezy night and their heavy breathing their only guide for the hours of darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOT! Looks like you've reached the end!  
> Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate each and every hit this fic receives Ahah.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this weird idea of mine! I'm not fully delighted with a few details but I had so much fun writing about our boys.   
> ♡Love you all♡

**Author's Note:**

> WOO! You read till the end of the chapter:)  
> Not the best, but the juice always comes after a small intro to the story. Chapter 2 will be spicier Ahah. This is my first fic on Ao3 so i was kinda agitated about it))
> 
> ♡Thank you for reading till the end♡


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